just diagnosed and overwhelmed

snapdeb

just diagnosed and overwhelmed

snapdeb

I was just diagnosed with IDC right breast ER+, so far I've had additional mammo and an ultrasound after that a biopsy then an MRI. The MRI was alarming my tumor is 6 cm x 3.2 x 3.5 which is significantly larger then what was expected based on the mammogram. There are multiple morphologically abnormal lymph nodes at level 1 & 2. largest one measuring 15 mm x 9mm the report says it's highly suspicious for metastatic disease. The ultrasound did not show any lymph involvement. My next step right now is to speak to a plastic surgeon regarding the left breast which is cancer free then surgery. Im having a mastectomy with sentinel node biopsy. After the mastectomy and biopsy I will see the oncologist to discuss treatment. There are so many decisions to make and I'm not sure if I even know all of them yet. I want my left breast removed I'm just not sure when, I'm hoping for nipple saving surgery for the left that's why I opted to see a plastic surgeon is it better to remove now or when I reconstruct the right breast, I was hoping to preserve feeling in the left breast, not sure if that's even possible. Would love to hear from others what to expect next, if there was a step I'm missing that I could ask for. I was thinking of asking for a breast cancer blood marker test though what i've read they are not that accurate. How do others know what stage their cancer is, is that something you find out after surgery? Im just so overwhelmed now and trying to stay calm.

Thank you,

Deb

Holeinone

Deb, of course you are overwhelmed....being diagnosised & getting started on the Cancer roller coaster is a nightmare. I was clueless in the beginning, truly a fish out of water. I just did what the Drs. Recommended. By the end of treatment I started speaking up for myself.

Until they get in there & remove the tumor & some nodes, you just don't know. I had a lumpectomy, because my surgeon said it was what I needed. He only took 7 nodes. I still wonder if he took more, what they would of found. He ( this is becoming very standard ) believes it is not helpful to take a lot of nodes. It can cause lymphdema. So far, I have not had any issues with that.

I hope you like/feel comfortable with the surgeon & your oncologist. I felt like the only decision that was mine, was the choice between mascetomy & lumpie. All the other decisions, I did what was standard of care for stage 3. None of it easy, but doable. It's a long haul, if you need chemo. When it gets tough, take it one day at a time. My goals were simple for about 5 months. Keep hydrated & eat as healthy as possible. Having reconstruction makes the process more difficult. Obviously, it is common. Like chemo, easy for some, more difficult & complicated for others. If your anxiety is high, ask for meds. I waited 6 months....my suffer in silence mantra exploded.

Blood markers are not standard of care, at least not at my Cancer center. They don't/won't do them. Good Luck, find the chemo group here when it is time. It helps to be able to rant & commiserate with ladies going through the same thing.

Moderators

Dear snapdeb, welcome you to BC.org! We're sorry that you have to be here but we're very glad you found, us and we're sure you'll find lots of answers here. We're all here for you!

Hugs,

The Mods

snapdeb

Thank you Holeinone and Kayb. I just asked about my HER2-NEU and found out that the test was borderline so they sent it out to another lab to get the final results. As I was writing this I got a call saying my HER2-NEU is negative. I put a request in to speak to a oncologist regarding chemo before surgery. Thank you KayB, for informing me on the two kinds of metastasis, I was confused. I'm feeling lost, I like my surgeon but I wish he was more of this is what I think we should do instead of what do you want to do. There is so much to research and decide. At least I have a great Cancer RN care team.

Ridley

Deb, don't be afraid to ask your surgeon for his recommendation. I think some docs are trying to move away from the paternalistic perspective of telling you what to do, but I wanted to hear my team's recommendation. I figured between them, they had over 50 years' of experience and I knew what I had learned in 2 months! Once I pushed, they came back to me with a recommendation which made sense to me based on the research I had done, and away I went. Good luck!